Bowling alley



S. BECH.

BOWLING ALLEY. APPLICATloN FILED APRJIZ. 1921.

UNITED STAT-Es PATENT OFFICE.

SIGFBED BEGH, OF TOTOWA, NEW JERSEY.

vBOWLING ALLEY.

Application-mea Aprn 12,

To all whom it may concern: y

Be it known that I, SIGFRED BECH, a citizen of'the United States, residing at Totowa, in the countyv of Passaic and State of New Jersey, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Bowling` Alleys, of which the following is a specification. Y

This invention rela-tes Sto improvementV ins what aretermed bowling alleyshmore especially the sectional or/fo'ldable type.

The invention `has for its' object topro.- vidc forreadily folding the instrument o rl device with facilityl and compactly to promote portability or transportation of the same; alsoto simplify structure and lessen the number of parts; 4also to improve the plan of operation or method of use of the construction and? arrangement of the parts,

device. Other objects 'of the. invention will be apparent from the following description of the and the carrying outof the aforesaid outlined features thereof. i

The invention consists therefore of'certain instrumentalities 4and features ofconstrwuction substantially as hereinafter more fully disclosed and defined by the appended claims.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the preferred embodiment or one form of my invention wherein it will be understood that various changes and modications as relate to the detailed construction and arrangement of parts may be made without departing from the spiritpr/scope thereof as covered by Bgm claims, and in which drawingsgure 1 represents a plan view of my invention in extended or usable condition.

Figure 2 is a side view thereof.

Figure 3 is a view in side elevation showing the device folded.

Figure4 is a transverse section taken on the line 4.-4 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a transverse section the line 5 5 of Figure 1. l

As characteristic features of my invention,

I form the same, bodily, of a multiple or taken on plurality of sections 1, preferably three, said sections being rectangular in general outline and foldable superposedly" with respect to each other as indicated in Figures 3 and 4. Each vsection is preferably formed of duplicate lateral members 1 and a bottomforming member 1b preferably mortised and' tenoned about centrally to the lateral members. or the same may be otherwise carpentered together.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Mar. 14, 1922.

41921. serial No. 460,778.

p The sections are connected together preferably by hinging or articulating the lateral members at the diagonally opposite edge thereof at their meeting ends as at 2 articularly as seen vin Figures 2 and 3 providing for the alinement of the sections v.when extended for use as indicated in Figures 2 and 3. The bottom-forming members l.by of the. multiple or plurality of sections 1 are each formed with opposite spaced-apart longitudinal grooves or gutters 3, adjacent the lateral members l@ thereof, the grooves or gutters of a bottom-forming member being arranged to aline the respective grooves of the other members 1b of the sections '1, the purpose of which will'be apparent later. Within the grooves 3 are. arranged resilient metal members or stops 4 suitably secured or driven into the bottom-forming member of the device, adjacent the pin-positioning. or"pit, end 5 thereof, las seen particularly in Figures 1, 2 and 5., The lateral members 1a of thesections 1 are equipped with sections 1c and elastic buffer-members y1d along their longitudinal edges, respectively, for suitably superposing or cushioning these noiselessly one upon the other, as seen in Figure 4. Also these sections may be provided at their meeting edges with suitable interfitting joint-forming tenons and mortises 1e, 1b respectively as means for the reinforcing or strengthening the articulating or hinging connectionsbetween said sections when in extended position.

It .will be observed that, in using the device, in the event of the player making a puddle, as called in bowling-alley par- A l lance, or terminology, a thrown ball, tak- -ing an erratic or stray course, resulting in its entering one of thegrooves or gutters 3, it will be intercepted by the resilient member, and, by theV resiliency of the latter be automatically returned, via the groove or gutter 3, to the player, providing for eX- pediting the throw of the recalcitrant ball as would not be the case otherwise as will be readily appreciated.

In the pit-end 5 `of the device, into which are stored thel pins 6 and balls 7, when not in use, is inserted a partition 8 adapted to provide for forming the pit andI for the retention of the pins and balls in restricted position as against shifting casually back and forth within the device when the latter is handled or moved about from place to place or transported.

-posed longitudinal ball-receiving grooves and resilient stops arranged in said-ball-receiving grooves. and adapted .to function with and automatically return an erratically thrown or stray ball to theplayer.

2. A device of the type described, including an instrumentality complemental to a bowling alley outfit and comprising a multiple of foldable sections'having opposed longitudinal ball-receiving grooves, and resilient stops arranged in said ball-receiving grooves and adapted to function With and automatically return an erratically thrown or stray ball to the player.-

3. A device of the type described, including an instrumentality comprising a multiple of foldable sections complemental to a.

bowling-alley outfit, said foldable sections having opposed longitudinal ball-receiving grooves, and resilient stops arranged in said ball-receiving grooves, 'said grooves each adapted to receive an erratic-thrown or stray ball and said resilient stop adapted to automatically return the ballI via one of said grooyes to the player.

4. A device of the type described, including an instrumentality comprisinga multiple of foldable, longitudinally grooved sections, complemental to a bowling-alley-outfit, one of said foldable sections' having a pit adapted to receive the balls and pins of the latter, and comprising a portable,V partition or septum for use when the device is being transported, handled or moved from place to place and adapted to be displaced when the device is to be used the grooves of said grooved sections having resilient stops arranged therein to function with and automatically return the balls to the player.

5. A device ofthe type described,`includ ing an instrumentality comprising a multiple of foldable longitudinally grooved sections complemental toa bowling-alley-outfit, one of said foldable sections having a pit adapted to receive the pins and balls of the latter and comprising a displaceable partition or septum, and resilient stops arranged in the grooves, each of said grooves being adapted to receive astray ball and said resilient stop adapted to automatically, return the ball to the player.

In testimony Wliereof, I affix my signature, in the presence of two witnesses.

v SIGFRED BECH. Witnesses:

ROBERT J. VAN HOUTEN,

FREnVREELAND. 

